The Princess Royal
Born on 15 August 1950 during the reign of her grandfather, George VI, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal is the second child and only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Her Royal Highness has tirelessly performed her royal duties since she was 18 years old and The Princess Royal has a deep affection for humanitarian work.
For more than 50 years, she has been heavily involved with the global charity Save the Children and is a patron of more than 300 organisations. Today, she is married to Sir Timothy Laurence, a former Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy, and has two children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, from her first marriage.
A Lifetime of Service
The Princess Royal is a title that British monarchs customarily award to their eldest daughters and there have been just seven Princesses Royal in British history. In 1987, Princess Anne, the daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, was bestowed with the title of The Princess Royal.
Alongside her regal titles, she also has a myriad of military accolades to her name that span all three major defence organisations. Having risen through the ranks of the Royal Navy, she was named an Admiral in 2012 and was awarded the titles of Chief Marshal of the Royal Air Force and British Army General in 2020.
Princess Anne in the Olympics
In 1976, The Princess Royal became the first member of the British Royal Family to compete at the Olympic Games. Riding her mother’s horse Goodwill, she competed in equestrian at the 1976 Games held in Montreal.
Throughout the 1970s, The Princess Royal also had an impressive record outside of the Olympics and won numerous equestrian medals. In 1971, she was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, an accolade matched by her daughter Zara in 2006 that made them the first mother–daughter duo to do so. In 2012, Zara also became an Olympian and went on to win an equestrian silver medal.
A Passion for Sport
Building on her Olympic legacy as a competitive athlete, The Princess Royal was made President of the British Olympic Association in 1983. Five years later, she was appointed as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1988. She has also served on the Eligibility Commission, the Nominations Committee and the IOC Members Election Committee.
The Princess Royal was heavily involved in bringing the Olympic Games to London in 2012 and since 1986, she has served as the patron of Scottish Rugby Union and frequently attends their matches. The connection to rugby union also extends to her son-in-law Mike Tindall, one of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winners.
The Perils of the Public Eye
Whilst The Princess Royal is famed for her love of sports, she is also a fan of fashion and has graced the covers of magazines like Vogue and Vanity Fair.
Life in the public eye has also proved dangerous for Her Royal Highness as in 1974, an armed kidnapper attempted to abduct the princess as she was travelling to Buckingham Palace. Fortunately, The Princess Royal’s bodyguards along with brave passers-by thwarted the assailant. In 1983, Her Royal Highness candidly recalled the events during an interview with Michael Parkinson in which she detailed how she defiantly resisted the assault, displaying her formidable resolve.
An Affinity for the Arts
In addition to her love of sport, fashion and charity work, The Princess Royal has been known to be a staunch supporter of the performing arts. From 1972 to 2001, she was President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and the main theatre at BAFTA’s headquarters in Piccadilly was renamed The Princess Anne Theatre in her honour.
As president, The Princess Royal presented several awards to deserving winners such as Charlie Chaplin, Ronnie Barker and Julie Andrews. In 1993, Her Royal Highness even received one herself when she was awarded BAFTA’s Special Award.
The Princess Royal Portrait
The first official UK coin celebrating The Princess Royal’s 75th birthday features an official photographic portrait supplied by Buckingham Palace. Recreated for coinage by renowned Royal Mint coin designer Thomas T. Docherty, using state-of-the-art technology, the design has been personally approved by Her Royal Highness and includes her official Coat of Arms.
The portrait was taken by John Swannell, a fellow of the prestigious Royal Photographic Society and one of the biggest names in British photography. In addition to portraits of the Royal Family, his portfolio includes a wide variety of images ranging from landscapes and fashion photography to theatre posters and album covers.